Driving and steering mechanism for motor-vehicles.



PATLNTED JULY 24, 190

W. E. INGRAM.

DRIVING AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JANJB. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JULfQ L, 1906.

W. B, INGRA M.

G MECHANISM FOR MOT OR VEHICLES.

DRIVING AND STEERIN APPLICATION FILED JAKE 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7 fn/nfo, W WW front wheels r. INGRAM, on srocnron, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNQR on if. i. CLARKE, 3F STOCKTON, CALlFOitNlA.

' WREVlNQ AND #S'YEEHING MECHfiNiSM FOR MOTOR-VEHIGLEQF,

Ho. senses.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented July 24;, mos.

ni imim no danuarvlfi. 1906. Serial No. 296,825.

llb o l? when}, it may concern:

' it lniown that 1,.WESLEY E. lessen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockton in. the county of Sen Joaquin and State of ilfllliOI'Kll-t, have invented new and useful Improvements in Driving and Steering Mechanism for lviotor vehicles, of which the followmg is e specification.

My invention. pertains to motor-vehicles, and more particularly to driving and steering Ineohsnism thereior; and it contem letes the provision of a simple and practice construction through the medium of which the of e motor-vehicle may be rotated to propel the vehicle without interfering with the sold front wheels being swung in the manner necessary to guide the vehicle.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully. understood from the following description and claims, when taken in com nection with the cccom enying drawings, forming pert oithis speci cation, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of so much of amo tor-vehicle as is necessary to illustrate the preierred application of my invention. Fig.

2 is an enlarged view, partly in elevation end partly in section, illustrative of the driving end steering mechanism or one of the front wheels. 3 is e view similar to Fig. 2, but

showing the ports in different ositions; and Fig. 4 is c section token on the me 5:4 of'Fig.

2 looking in the direction indicated by arrow. Similer letters designate corresponding parts in ell oi the views of the drawings, re ferring to which v A is the drive-shaft of s motor-vehicle. B is the rear mile of the vehicle, which beers treveling wheels C and sprocket-wheels D.

E is the body of the front axle, which body is connected to the vehicle-frame in the ordinary manner or any other manner competible with the purpose of my invention;

F F are the front Wheels; cl G sprocketwlleels connected with the said front wheels F in the manner hereinafter pointed out in dot-nil.

H is s counter-shaft connected by inter-- tue of this construction it will be appears t that driving connections ore nil'orded be tween the drive-shaft of the motor and the front wheels F, as well as between the said motor-shalt and. the rear wheels C, with the result that the capacity of the machine is in creased.

. is l! in i send mit rotary motion to the front whee such msnner as not to interfere wi wheels being swung laterally to guid hide, and to this end I provide in cormection with each of the front wheels mechenisin such as is plainly shown in Figs. 2 to said mechanism comprises e head a, formed integral with or suitably fixed on the end of the axle-body E and having oppositely-extending arms I), a sleeve c, arranged on the axle-body E and having a. longitudinal bore or passage (3, a hub c, fixed to one sprocketwheel G and mounted to turn on the sleeve 0 and having diametrically opposite outwardlyextending arms f, entii'rictionbells 9, dis posed between the sleeve 0 end the hub s end arranged to move in races formed therein, o ring it, having four equidistant rsdiellyliposed apertures Zc, swinging links 1, pivoted at veto the arms f of hub e and having leterel projectionsn at their outer ends, disposed in apertures 7c of the ring it and secured. by nuts p or other suitable means,- a spindle 1, having it T-hecd s at its inner end, pivoted at t t to the arms I; on the exle-body, and also having an arm n, a hub 12, mounted to rotate on'the spindle 1- end fixed, through the medium of the flange 10 or other suitable means, to one front wheel F, links so, pivoted at 3 to the hub v and having projections z disposed in the two other apertures 7c of ring it, e rod a,-

so that when said handwneel or other device is actuated the rod a will be moved endwise and the wheels F swung synclirononrl 111 one d1- reotion or the other. By virtue of the points or The scheme of my invention is to trans TOC be transmitted from/she sprocketwheels G to the wheels F, and yet the mechanism for transmitting such rotary motion will not interfere with the operation of the rod (1/, the links 6', and the spindles r to swing the wheels F toward the right or the left and steer the vehicle. It will also be apparent that my novel driving and steering mechanism is simple and compact and is well adapted to, withstand the shocks and strains to which such mechanisms are ordinarily sub- I jec'ted.

The swinging or each wheel F is effected through the medium of'the rod on, the link I), and the spindle r, pivoted to the arms 5, carried by the axlebody E, while rotary motion is transmitted to each wheel F from its complementary sprocket-wheel G through the medium of the hub e, which turns on the sleeve c, and with the sprocket-wheel G, the ring it, which turns with the hub c and the wheel G, and yet is adapted to accommodate itself to the position of the wheel F relative to the sprocket-Wheel G, and the links a, which connect the ring 7t and the wheel-hub v, and yet permit the wheel to swing laterally with respect to the ring. It will be noticed that because of the rod a" being carried through the sleeve 0 the construction is rendered very compact, and at the same time the said rod a is reinforced and strengthened and the liability of it being broken, bent, or otherwise impaired in practice is reduced to a minimum.

Notwithstanding the practical advantages which I have hereinbefore ascribed to my novel mechanism it will be readily seen that the said mechanism does not greatly increase thecost of a motor-vehicle and does not detract in any way from the finished appear ance thereof.

I claim- 1. In a driving and steering mechanism for motor-vehicles, the combination of an axle-body, a spindle mounted to swing on said body, a wheel rotatable about thespindie, a sleeve mounted on the axle-body and having a longitudinal bore or passage, an" endwise-moval'de rod disposed. in the bore or passage of the sleeve and connected with the spindle, a hub arranged on and rotatable about the sleeve, a gearwheel fixed with re spect to said hub, and connections interme diate the said hub and the wheel on the spindle for transmitting rotary motion from the a former to the latter; the said connections being arranged to accommodate themselves to swingingmovements or" the wheel.

2. in a and steering mehamsm fori Q acacia motor-vehicles, the combination of an axlebody, a head carried at one end of said body, a spindle pivoted to said head and arranged to swing in a horizontal plane, a wheel carried by and rotatable about the spindles sleeve mounted on the axle-body and having a longitudinal bore or passage, an endwisemovable rod disposed in the bore or passage of the sleeve, a link interposed between and connecting the said rod and an arm on the spindle, a hub arranged on and rotatable about the sleeve, antit'riction devices interposed between the sleeve and the hub, a geara wheel fixed with respect to said hub, and connections intermediate the hub and the wheel on the spindle for transmitting rotary motion from the former to the latter; the said connections being arranged to accommodate themselves to swinging movements 0% the wheel.

3. The combination in a driving and steering mechanism for motor-vehicles, of an axlebody, a spindle mounted to swing on said body, a wheel rotatable about the spindle, a sleeve mounted on the axle-body and having a longitudinal bore or passage, an endwisemovable rod disposed in the bore or passage of the sleeve and connected with the spindle, a hub arranged on and rotatable about the sleeve, a gear-wheel fixed with respect to said hub, a ring surrounding the connection between the spindle and the axle-body, links pivoted to and connecting the hub on the sleeve and the said ring, and links pivoted to and connecting the wheel and the said ring.

4. In a driving and steering mechanism for motor-vehicles, the combination of an axle body, a head carried at one end of said body, a spindle pivoted to said head so as to swing in a horizontal plane and having an arm, a Wheel carried by and rotatable about the spindle, a sleeve mounted on the axle-body and having a longitudinal bore or passage, an cndwise-movable rod disposed in said bore or passage, a link connecting said rod and the arm of the spindle, a hub arranged on and rotatable about the sleeve and having a gearwhecl fixed with respect to it, antii'iiction de vices arranged between the sleeve and the hub a ring surrounding the connection between the axle-body and the spindle-and having equidistant radial apertures, diametrically opposite links pivoted to the hub on the sleeve and having projections disposed in two of the apertures of the ring, and diametrically opposite links pivoted to the wheel and having projections disposed in the other two apertures of the ring.

5, In a driving and steeringmechanism for motor-vehicles, the combinationoi an axlebody, a spindle mounted to swing on said body, a wheel rotatable about the spindle, Suitable means for transmitting axle-body, and a connection intermediate said gear and the wheel-comprising a ring surrounding the connection between the spindle and the .axle-hody'and having four equidistant radial apertures, diametneall opposite links pivotally connected with t e gear and havi projections disposed'at right anles to sai pivotal connectlons' and arm d 1m two of the apertures of the ring, and ia- I wheel; to .transmit metrically o posite links pivotally connected with; the w eel and havi promotions. disposed at'right. angles tOVSGId pivotal connections and arrange ofthering. I I I 6. The combination a driving and steer-1 ing mechanism for motor-vehicles of an axlebody an endwise movable rod guided on said axle-body, a spindle mounted to swing on the axle-bod a connection between the rod and the spimfi e die a gear rotatable a out the axle-bod and connecting: e said gear and t e former arranged to accomin the other t'wo'apertiires a wheel rotatable about the spinry motion irom the modate itself to the swinging movements of 2 5 ,the s indle and wheel.

-the said sleeve, and means connecting the said; gear and the wheel to transmit rotary motionfrom the former to the latter and arrangedto accommodate itself to the swinging movements of the spindle and wheel. 7 w

e "In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my ,hand in'presence of two subscribing witnes3eB.

e p WESLEY E INGBAb/L 'Wimesses:

J. H, Ixom, v Au'nln R. Nnnnns. 

